Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Beyond Good Execution

Blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company
Mar 25, 2011 12:42 PM ET

Taiga Company blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Compa…

For years, Dell was the ‘ideal’ model of supply chain management.  However, times change and so too did market pressures and consumer expectations.  Dell, like many other leading supply chain companies today, had to rethink its sustainable supply chain strategies.  Shifting its focus away from its famed supply chain ‘execution’ thought processes, Dell had to come up with some new ideas.  

“Procurement should demonstrate persistent thought leadership by approaching business partners with a constant stream of high-quality ideas” –Procurement Strategy Council
 
As we emerge into a time of souring demand, the supply chain decisions of the past now present new sustainability challenges.  Many organizations at the turn of the century targeted the immediate value of supply chain efficiency; however, lean is not the only measure of supply chain sustainability. 
 
Described in a recent article, Demonstrate Thought Leadership with Business Partners, there is a distinct difference between execution and innovation.  According to the author, most procurement organizations focus on execution as a means to more sophisticated opportunities. However, this only confirms that the supply chain is capable of its intended purpose. Good execution alone will never change the understanding of what sustainable supply chain management is capable of from a more strategic perspective.  Click here to read more about sustainable supply chain management.

 

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".